The present invention relates to an image shooting device, an image shooting method and a recording medium having an assist function for assisting the shooting of moving images to be used in, for instance, a system that generates prints of frame images extracted from moving images (hereinafter referred to also as “moving image print(s)”).
Nowadays, mobile terminals such as smart phones and tablet terminals are rapidly becoming popular. The number of still images (photographs) taken by such mobile terminals are increasing accordingly, and at the same time, chances to shoot moving images are also increasing. At present, as a service using moving images, there is provided a system with an augmented reality (AR) technology, in which upon the imaging or capturing of a print such as a photograph with a mobile terminal, a moving image associated with the print is played back (AR-played) on a screen of the mobile terminal, as shown in the website of “moving image photo! service” ([online], FUJIFILM Corporation, [searched on Feb. 9, 2015], URL: http://fujifilm.jp/personal/print/photo/dogaphoto/).
In this system, a moving image associated with a print is AR-played according to the following steps (1) to (6).    (1) Once a user selects, through a dedicated application that operates in a mobile terminal, a moving image the user desires to use for a print from among moving images, the selected moving image is uploaded to a server.    (2) In the server, a frame image of a representative scene is extracted from the moving image uploaded from the mobile terminal.    (3) The frame image of a representative scene extracted in the server is downloaded to the mobile terminal.    (4) The user selects, from among frame images of representative scenes listed on a screen of the mobile terminal, a frame image the user desires to print to thereby place an order for printing.    (5) In the server, a print of the frame image of a representative scene ordered by the user is generated, and a moving image associated with this frame image is image-processed for AR play.    (6) Once the user captures a delivered print with the mobile terminal, a moving image for AR play associated with this print is downloaded from the server and AR-played on the screen of the mobile terminal by means of the AR technology.
Moving images used in the system that generates moving image prints as above are ones shot by image shooting devices having a common function for shooting moving images.
A moving image print generated by the foregoing system has a role as a still image and a role as a moving image. Therefore, a moving image used for generating a moving image print needs to be shot so as to include a scene suitable for both a still image and a moving image. Conventional image shooting devices, however, do not have means of checking during the shooting of a moving image as to whether a content of the moving image is suitable for generation of moving image prints, and consequently, a shot moving image is sometimes not suitable for moving image prints.
Now JP 2007-142866 A, JP 2009-44602 A, JP 2011-211695 A and JP 2010-161644 A are mentioned as prior art literatures related to the present invention.
JP 2007-142866 A relates to an imaging apparatus that, when a user shoots a particular person while following the person, assists the user to frame the person, but the assist function does not work when the person is out of the frame.
JP 2009-44602 A relates to an imaging apparatus that, in order to have a variety of image contents, gives notice when images of similar contents are continuously shot. The apparatus needs to have a still image previously registered for use in determining the similarity of contents.
JP 2011-211695 A relates to a shooting assist method for imaging a plurality of persons in a well-balanced proportion in shooting photographs, but it is impossible with the method to automatically determine as to whether a person is actually a target subject a photographer intends to shoot.
JP 2010-161644 A relates to an electronic camera that generates thumbnail images for moving images with the intention of the camera person being reflected in the thumbnail images with good accuracy, i.e., that specifies a main person based on the frequency of appearance of smiles and takes, as a thumbnail image, the frame in which the main person specified is seen as a large figure.
Besides the four literatures above, there is known a technique to make judgments on target persons to be shot on an individual basis and when a target person keeps smiling for a certain period of time, automatically release a shutter. The technique, however, does not function when a target person is out of the frame.